Michigan's kicking woes are on more than just Quinn Nordin

ANN ARBOR -- Quinn Nordin has missed two straight field goals and four of his last seven over the last three games.

But his latest wasn't necessarily his fault, special teams coordinator Chris Partridge said.

Partridge, speaking to reporters Wednesday, pinned the blame on a missed block along the line Saturday against Penn State. Nordin, a redshirt sophomore, had his kick blocked on an empty Michigan drive.

It was the second attempt gone wrong this season for Nordin and the field-goal unit.

"There's concern about that whole unit," Partridge said. "It's a frustrating unit. We dropped the snap (at Notre Dame). Now, our left end decided not to block on the one last week.

"That's a whole unit deal."

The left end at the time was tight end Zach Gentry, who was tasked with trying to block two Penn State players -- one on the line and another rushing the kicker.

The blocked kick dropped Nordin to 11 of 16 on field-goal attempts on the season, a far difference from the 79 percent he completed in 2017.

"Quinn starts it, he's the head of it -- but that's a concern, for sure," Partridge said. "That's something we put in time in a lot recently, and a lot more this week. We've got to get that thing right for the end here."

So far this season, Nordin, of Rockford, is 3 for 3 on field-goal attempts from 29 yards or less, 5 of 6 from 30-39 yards, 2 of 4 from 40-49 yards and is 1 of 3 from 50-plus yards out.

His last make came Oct. 13 against Wisconsin, a game in which he converted three times (and missed twice). Nordin also pulled a 36-yard field goal left of the uprights during an Oct. 20 win over Michigan State, a game played in adverse weather conditions.

"It is unfair (to blame it all on him)," Partridge said. "But, at the same time, he's got to be better and take control of that thing. There's a bunch of different factors."

Nordin has elected not to speak to reporters this season, his second after redshirting in 2016. But he continues to show bright spots.

"He had a heck of a day yesterday," Partridge said. "That wind was howling and he went 5 for 5 in our live sessions. It was good. Confident. You go through peaks and valleys, but you've got to keep pushing. That's something we have got to keep pushing."

AWARDS: Michigan had a player, coach and former player crack mid-season awards lists this week.

Shea Patterson was one of 16 semifinalists to make the 2018 Davey O'Brien Award for nation's best quarterback.

... Don Brown is on the 2018 Broyles Award, in honor of the nation's top assistant coach.

... Ryan Tice, a former Michigan transfer, is a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award for nation's best kicker. Tice, also a Saline native, is 10 of 12 this season at Central Michigan, where is 7 of 8 from 40-yards or longer. His season long is 53.